Headline crime increased by 14% over the year, as London sees highest crime rates across the country, new Crime figures show.
This comes amidst news of the Home Office ordering new crime data to be published by the end of the year.
The statistics released this morning by the Office for National Statistics reveal a significant year on year increase in the number of incidents of headline crime by December 2024, despite a general decrease over the last 10 years. Headline crime includes theft, robbery, criminal damage, fraud, computer misuse, and violence with or without injury.
Surges in fraud and theft reports explain year on year values. Fraud has increased by 33% to 4.1 million incidents, whilst theft rose by 13% to 2.9 million incidents. Conversely, computer misuse saw a decrease of 23% by last December.
Additionally, sexual assault incidents were particularly stark last year, with 2.1% of people experiencing sexual assault. 4.2% of people over the age of 16 experienced domestic abuse and 3.1% experienced stalking.
Homicides, firearm incidents, and robbery of personal property all decreased by over 5%.
The data team at Polimapper has visualised the ONS’s Crime in England and Wales figures to show geographical trends.
The visualisation reveals a pronounced contrast between London’s 107 incidents per 1k people and the East of England’s rate of 70 crimes per 1k.
On a local authority level, the highest crime rates per 1k population were seen in Westminster, at 432 crimes, Camden (195), Middlesbrough (162), and Kensington and Chelsea (157). Conversely, this was lowest in the Isles of Scilly (25), Broadland (37), and Rutland (39).
Westminster saw the highest rates for sexual offences, robbery and theft offences at 7, 18 and 315 per 1k people respectively. Possession of weapons offences were highest in Crawley, Birmingham, and Nottingham. Explore statistics in your area below.
About this map
The visualisation below shows Crime statistics in England and Wales by Police Force Area.
To view statistics in your area double click on the map or click here to launch the full page version.
Geodata context
The statistics on Crime in England and Wales come after the Home Office ordered data on nationalities of foreign criminals to be published by the end of the year. This has led to outcry from charities and MPs who urge that this data remain private.
Fizza Qureshi, chief executive of the Migrants’ Rights Network: “The criminal justice system, policing and immigration systems are infamously racist and disproportionately impact racialised people.”
“Attempts to manufacture a link between nationalities and criminality only serves to deepen prejudice and discrimination towards migrants from certain countries. Linking the nationality, ethnicity and immigration status with crime is nothing more than dog-whistle politics, which is incredibly irresponsible in the aftermath of last summer’s racist riots.”
James Wilson, director of Detention Action: “The dangers are very clear. Less than a year after the anti-asylum riots, the government risks feeding further division, dehumanisation and prejudice in our communities.”
Home Office source: “We want to ensure the public is kept better informed about the number of foreign criminals awaiting deportation, where they are from and the crimes they have committed.”